[[quoteright:400:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/183614a6e1c07645c6d7c68c5ca8839e.jpg]][[caption-width-right:400:Promotional image for the [[MilestoneCelebration 20th Anniversary]] showing the ArtEvolution of Akira Yuki.]] ''Virtua Fighter'' is a long-run FightingGame series produced {{Sega}}'s [=AM2=] development team that debuted in the arcades in 1993. It is notable for being the first truly successful [=3D=] fighting game franchise, paving the wave for the likes of ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' and ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive''.[[note]]Although Sega's lesser known ''Dark Edge'' predated ''Virtua Fighter'' by a year in having 3D movement, it used sprite-scaling technology instead of actual polygonal models.[[/note]]

The game's story is about the dealings of the mysterious corporation, Judgment Six (J6) who holds the World Fighting Tournament as a front to create the ultimate fighter. The game's star is Akira Yuki a HotBlooded martial artist seeking to fight worthy opponents and perfect his fighting style. A major recurring storyline in the game is with J6's involvement with some of the other competitors. Kage-Maru's mother, Tsukikage, is turned into Dural, the final boss of the series. Sarah and Vanessa are both kidnapped by J6, the latter used to make the newer version of Dural after Kage saved his mother.

Compared to other fighting game franchises, ''Virtua Fighter'' doesn't have much focus in its storyline. This is partially due to trying to make the combat mechanics more realistic and the depth in the characters' fighting styles as a whole and the moves they use. Virtua Fighter is known for the balance of its characters between each other. The series is also notable for being one of the few fighting game franchises to preserve its character roster throughout every entry, adding new fighters without removing anyone. The sole exception was Taka-Arashi, who was retired in ''Virtua Fighter 4'' due to the difficulty of integrating the sumo wrestling style into the new engine, only to return in ''Virtua Fighter 5R''.

Related games in the series include.* ''Virtua Fighter CG Portrait Series'' (1995-1996, Saturn) - A series of CGI gallery discs featuring image songs for each character. Ten main volumes (one for each member of the ''[=VF2=]'' roster) were sold in Japanese retailer, while the eleventh disc (which covered Dural) was only given away as a mail-order by sending the spine cards for the other ten discs to Sega.* ''Virtua Fighter 2 Genesis'' (1996, Genesis) - An official 2D demake.* ''Virtua Fighter Kids'' (1996, ST-V/Saturn) - A version of ''[=VF2=]'' starring {{chibi}} versions of the cast.* ''Virtua Fighter GG Portrait Series'' (1996, Game Gear) - Similar to the CG Portrait Series, but features the ''Kids'' versions of characters. Only had two volumes: one for Akira and another for Pai.* ''Virtua Fighter Animation'' (1996, Game Gear) - A 2D tie-in to the anime series. A version was released for the Master System in Brazil.* ''Fighters Megamix'' (1996, Saturn) - A crossover with ''FightingVipers''. Based on an abandoned Saturn port of ''[=VF3=]''.* ''Virtua Quest'' (2004, PS2/GC) - A 3D action RPG spinoff.* ''Virtua Fighter: 10th Anniversary Remix'' (2004, PS2) - A {{retraux}} version of ''[=VF4=] Evolution'' done in the same graphical style as the first game.

A 35-episode [[AnimeOfTheGame anime]] aired in Japan from October 2, 1995 – June 27, 1996. Only the first 24 episodes were dubbed into English, though the entire series has been dubbed in Spanish, Italian, and Arabic. An OVA titled ''Virtua Fighter Costomize Clip'' was also released in 1996, consisting solely of animated music videos set to songs from the Virtua Fighter image song album ''Dancing Shadows.'' The OVA is incredibly obscure, but the music videos can be viewed [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHhErfbJ76BIDaOO4DHG4qIvBrHE74QbD here.]]----!!This series provide example of:

* AllThereInTheManual: The plot and character biographies, they are never featured in the games.* AlternateContinuity: VirtuaQuest.* AmazonianBeauty: Vanessa. Tall, muscled, and a skilled grappler. Not to mention gorgeous. * AndYourRewardIsClothes: ''VirtuaFighter 4'' was the first fighting game to feature accessories for your fighter that did not affect the fighter's stats in any way (even if you gave them weapons).* AnimalNemesis: Jeffry's constant battle with the "devil shark".* AnimeHair: Akira, Jacky and Goh. Brad's is almost there.* TheAnimeOfTheGame: Though it's a PragmaticAdaptation, it's pretty well received.* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Lei-Fei. He seeks to become stronger, and wants to steal Lau's style then kill him to increase his strength.* BadassGrandpa: Shun. Despite being more than double the age of most of the roster, he kicks just as much ass. Lau is approaching this as well, with noticeably graying hair in later installments. * BigDamnHeroes: Pai pulls one off to [[http://youtu.be/QnwuyHMhigs?t=13s save her father Lau from being killed by Lei Fei]].* BoobsOfSteel: Vanessa. Large chested and physically the strongest female.* BoringButPractical / SimpleYetAwesome: The series in general when compared to most other fighting games. The ''VF'' games eschew any kind of super meter or gimmick, and instead have relied on fleshing out the core mechanics over the years, making it a very deep game. YMMV on whether this is enjoyable or not.* BrainwashedAndCrazy: This is part of the process of making Dural. It also happens to Sarah, who is a candidate for the same process. It's likely happened to Goh and Jean as well, when they were younger.* BreakingTheFourthWall: In ''Final Showdown'', during the game over countdown Taka stares up at the players and begs them to continue.* ButNotTooBlack: A particularly egregious example in Vanessa going from ''Virtua Fighter 4'' to ''5''.* ButtonMashing: Depends who you play as, and whether your opponent knows the mechanics. You can be punished severely for this practice, even by the AI.* CanonForeigner: Liu Kowloon, Eva Durix and Oni-Maru from the anime series.* CainAndAbel: Sarah and Jacky when Sarah was brainwahsed by J6.* TheCharmer: Brad.* ChefOfIron: Lau. He enters the tournament to get enough money to open a restaurant. * {{Chickification}}: To some degree, Sarah in the anime.* ChineseGirl: Pai and Eileen. Pai is more traditional, with ox-tails and standard kung fu, but Eileen's monkey style and outfits still qualify her. * ChromeChampion: Dural. She appears as an entirely chrome nude woman.* {{Combos}}: A staple of the genre.* ComicBookTime: From ''4'' and onward, birth dates were no longer given for the character.* CostumePorn: In ''Virtua Fighter 4'' and ''5''. * TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: Dural is comically overpowered. * CoolMask: Kagemaru and El Blaze, being a {{Ninja}} and a MaskedLuchador respectively. * DarkerAndEdgier: The second season of the anime, compared to the much more light hearted first. The characters are older and their designs are changed to match, becoming less cute and rounded. The plot is treated more seriously and contains less comedy as well.* DarkSkinnedBlond: Vanessa, even though her hair is white.* TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything: ''Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown'' has two examples:** Training mode includes an animation frame counter that displays how long it takes for a technique to execute, as well as how much of an advantage you have after a successful hit or guard. Usually, this kind of feature is available only to the developers, who would use it to tweak moves to make them faster or slower. This trope is notable because no other fighting game before ''Final Showdown'' has a frame counter.** You can configure your buttons at the character select screen. A much-appreciated feature for tournament players.** See JigglePhysics below to see how far the dev team thinks.* DifficultButAwesome: The series is widely recognized for being one of the most complex and difficult to get into in the FightingGame genre, but it is also arguably the most well-balanced amongst its characters and a perennial tournament favorite. While the game has tier lists, a low-tier character can easily best a high-tier one with practice and skill. The difference is nowhere near as pronounced as in other series.** A more specific example would be Akira himself. Despite being the main character, he's, ironically, generally considered one of the hardest characters to master in this already difficult to master game. That said, he consistently tops tier lists.* DittoFighter: Dural is the [[Pantheon/{{Combat}} Goddess]] of them.* DivergentCharacterEvolution: Sarah and Jacky have developed far different moves and backstories over the course of five games.* DownloadableContent: The costume packs in ''Final Showdown''. If you bought the PS3 version early, you got everything.* DrunkenBoxing: Shun's fighting style. * DrunkenMaster: Shun. He has a move where he takes a swig; certain moves are only available after having taken so many swigs. * EdgeGravity: Averted. Despite being the first major fighting series to use {{Ring Out}}s, there is nothing stopping you from meandering over the edge and costing yourself the round. Later installments did include physical walls, however.* EvilAlbino: Goh* FacialMarkings: Wolf* FauxActionGirl: Sarah in the anime.* FragileSpeedster: Pai, Aoi, Eileen, Lion* GenkiGirl: Eileen. She acts like a monkey in many of her poses. * GlowingEyesOfDoom: In ''Final Showdown'' one of the customisation pieces is an Egyptian mask with glowing [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]] Kage Maru and El Blaze also have unique face pieces which have the same effect.* GratuitousEnglish: While Jeffry, Jacky, Sarah, Vanessa and many other characters do, in fact, speak coherent English, some of their win quotes seem... awkward...-->'''Jacky:''' "I've done handcuffed lightning!"-->'''Sarah:''' "Even Good Guys blow it..."* HotBlooded: Akira* IdiotHero: Akira in the anime, a far outcry from his 'Ryu clone' game persona. But it still works.* ImageSong: Aside from the stage music for each character, image songs were produced for the first game, the second game, and the anime. The second game's image song album ''Dancing Shadows'' even got [[http://virtuafighter.com/threads/vf-music-vids-amvs-mads-cmvs.18514/ animated music videos]] for some depicting individual characters' backstories. * ImpendingClashShot:** A downplayed version (due to it being a Long Shot) appears in the fifth installment [[http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/news2/Virtua-Fighter-5-Unlockables-PS3-2.jpg between Eileen and El Blaze.]] where we get an half non-EvilOverlooker in the background and the rest of the cast in the middleground spectating the fight.** The Virtua Fighter 5 opening [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezAaHgBmmxg features dozens]] of character match ups.* IncestSubtext: In whatever media they appear in, Jacky always seems just a little ''too'' close to his sister Sarah. One of the most blatant examples is in an [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0j_SINHcqQ animated music video of Jacky's theme song]] that has a flashback of him and Sarah playing together at a beach. Not as children, but as adults, and Sarah is wearing a pretty skimpy bikini. Anyone not familiar with the characters [[RelativeError could easily assume they were lovers]].* JigglePhysics: ''Virtua Fighter 5'' uses this. The breast size and the type of clothing the female character wears actually affects the amount of jiggle, making this a much more realistic and well executed example than most. The only character this doesn't effect is Eileen, the youngest girl in the cast. Inversely, Vanessa, who has BoobsOfSteel, jiggles no matter what she wears.* KyuAndDanRanks: The series introduced them from part 2 on. Until 1st dan, those will be gained by experience points, afterwards with victory points. Once the player reaches 10th dan, it's possible to acquire even higher rankings with the titles (High King and Emperor being the highest in ''VF4'' and Champion in ''VF4Evo''.* LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine: Respectively Pai and Sarah.* MagicalNativeAmerican: Wolf* MaskedLuchador: El Blaze * MegaCorp: Judgement Six.* MightyGlacier: Wolf, Jeffery and Taka-Arashi* {{Ninja}}: Kage-Maru* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: El Blaze is a pretty clear clone of real life luchadore and WCW/WWE wrestler Rey Mysterio.* NoblewomansLaugh: Sarah* NonHumanSidekick: Alexander, Sarah's pet flying squirrel from the anime)* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: All English-speaking characters sound American, regardless of origin. Equally all the Asian characters speak in Japanese.** Lion is apparently French, but he sounds like a loud American teenager.** Jeffrey has more emphasis on the ScaryBlackMan rather than an Australian Scary black man.* NumberedSequels* OldMaster: Lau and Shun* TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: J6 again* ProfessionalKiller: Goh and Jean* ProfessionalWrestling: Wolf and El Blaze* PsychoForHire: Goh and Jean* {{Retraux}}: Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary, which is Virtua Fighter 4 with the first game's blocky polygons and soundtrack.* RankInflation: After reaching 10th dan, players can revieve titles (see KyuAndDanRanks). TropesAreNotBad in this case.* RingOut: In the very least the TropeCodifier for the fighting genre, if not the TropeMaker.* TheRival: Wolf to Akira* ScaryBlackMan: Jeffry* ShipTease: Akira gets this with Pai a lot, but only outside of the games. It's extremely prevalent in the anime and even comes up in the American comic. Borders on OfficialCouple.** Akira and Sarah was also teased in the anime, before it started teasing Sarah and Kage.** In addition to that, Jacky and Pai are ship teased on two separate occasions when they travel together without Akira, first being thought of as a couple on a honeymoon, and then confronted by paparazzi in the second season who think they're having a secret affair, since by that point they've become celebrities.** In the actual games, Aoi/Brad is teased in one intro and one of Brad's special item wins.* ShoutOut: One of Shun's customizations in the ''5'' series is a blue tank engine. [[WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine Sound familiar?]]** Jacky's infamous "I done handcuffed lightning!" line is a shout out to one of heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxLokrATgIw speeches ]]. ** Several of the custom costumes. You can dress Sarah as [[SpaceChannel5 Ulala]] and Akira as [[{{Shenmue}} Ryo Hazuki]]. El Blaze has an [[SambaDeAmigo Amigo Sombrero]], Wolf has a [[{{Frankenstein}} Frankenstein]] head, a hairstyle option for Jacky and Lion looks like a [[{{Tekken}} Mishima's]], and Jeffry has a mohawk that makes him look a ''lot'' like MrT.** One of Eileen's custom items is an extending staff, much like [[Anime/DragonBall Son Goku's]]. Given her [[Literature/JourneyToTheWest monkey motif]], it fits.** Jean is one big ShoutOut to JojosBizarreAdventure.* ShownTheirWork: When developing the early games, Yu Suzuki required the development team to learn martial arts. This helped make the moves realistic, and the style utilized by each character is a very close approximation of it in real life, with a few liberties taken [[RuleOfFun for the sake of fun]]. For example, many of Jacky's moves utilize Wing Chun techniques, which were the foundation of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do, as opposed to simply copying moves from Bruce Lee's movies, and ends up being much closer to actual Jeet Kune Do than the average BruceLeeClone.* SNKBoss: Dural...though she doesn't spam powerful attacks.* SociopathicHero: Vanessa... snapping necks while laughing* SpinOff: VirtuaQuest, a 3D action-beat 'em up featuring the cast of ''Virtua Fighter 4'' as fighting data in {{Cyberspace}}.* SuperDeformed: ''Virtua Fighter Kids''* ToBeAMaster: Akira* {{Tsundere}}: Vanessa** Aoi to Brad too, if you read their backstories.* VictoryPose* TheVoiceless: Dural* UpdatedRerelease: Each game in the series had their fair share of software revisions, but it wasn't until ''[=VF3tb=]'' that Sega started releasing full updated versions for each entry. Most notably, ''[=VF4=] Final Tuned'' and ''[=VF5R=]'' were arcade exclusives and never had home releases.* WarriorMonk: Lei Fei - which also technically makes him a BareFistedMonk as far as we know, though it doesn't matter since this is an unarmed-combat series.* YamatoNadeshiko: Aoi* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: In 5 the DLC packs gave most characters the option of having brightly coloured hair, in ''Final Showdown'' everyone gets it.* YourDaysAreNumbered: Lau